Fuel control device



March 27, 1934. c. DRIEST FUEL CONTROL DEVICE Filed Oct. 17, 1931 INVEN TOR. CHARL 5s [DR/67 AT RNEY Patented Mar. 27, 1934 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for use in controlling and regulating the fuel supply of an internal combustion engine to materially economize on fuel consumption by fanning or otherwise breaking up the gases prior to their transmission into the cylinders of the engine; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of the class specified in the form of a unit including a small electric motor which may be readily attached to i any vehicle and coupled with the source of electric supply of the vehicle, or if desired, which may be built into and constitute a unit part of the engine or motor in its initial construction; a

r further object being to provide an element disposed in the path of the gases leading from a carburetor to the cylinders of the engine for fanning or otherwise breaking up the gaseous mixture prior to its admission into the cylinders of the engine was to produce a more perfectly combustible mixture from a relatively small amount of fuel, thus effecting a saving in fuel consumption of from thirty to fifty per centum, and possibly more on'some types of engines; a further object being to provide a device of the class de- 0 scribed, the control or regulating element of which may be rotated or oscillated at relatively high speed and driven from a small electric motor constituting part of the control unit, and

which may be attached and detachedas a unit;

' and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view indicating one method of installation.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of installation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of my improved control units, indicating the manner of mount: ing the same. 1

Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modification.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing another modification;.and,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing another form of control element which I employ.

My improved control device is adapted for use in connection with internal combustion engines of any kind or class, and especially in the engine 0 of motor vehicles of all classes including motor boats and aeronautical apparatusas well ason stationary engines of various kinds and classes, and especially in the provision of a control device including as a part of the unit structure thereof, 5 an electric motor for actuating the control element of the device.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have diagrammatically illustrated one possible use of the invention which consists in placing one of my improved units 10 between the intake manifold 11 and a speed control governor 12 arranged between the manifold 11 and the carburetor 13 of the engine indicated at 14, whereas in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the unit 10 is shown arranged between the mani- 7 fold 11 and the carburetor 13, the governor 12 being omitted. The governor 12 is used on certain types of motor vehicles, such for example as motor trucks, whereas the engines of other vehicles do not employ this governor, and in the latter instances, the control unit is positioned between the carburetor and the manifold, as will be apparent.

The unit 10 in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive consists of an L-shaped bracket or base 15 upon which is supported an electric motor 16 in circuit with a source of electric supply of the vehicle. The shaft of the motor includes a coupling 17 to which is coupled a driven shaft 18, the latter passing through a flange or spacing plate 19 attached to the base 15 as seen at 20. The plate 19 is so fashioned as to be placed between the flange 11a of the manifold and the flange 12a of the governor 13a of the carburetor as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and secured in position by the usual bolts 21 passed through the flanges and through elongated or arc-shaped apertures 22 formed in the plate 19. g

It will be noted that the arrangement of the apertures 21 in the plate 19 is such as to extend the bracket 15 forwardly and outwardly with respect to the cylinders of the engine so as to clear any pipes, rods or other devices and render the attachment accessible. The plate 25 is provided with a large aperture 23 which registers with the apertures in the manifold 11 and governor or carburetoras clearly seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The shaft 18 extends longitudinally through the plate 19 and centrally through the aperture 23 and projects through'the outer end of the plate, at which end the shaft has a hearing as seen at 24.

Secured to the shaft within the aperture 23 is a control element 25. The element in the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 consists of four radially extending perforated plates 26, the periphery of which are recessed centrally as seen at 2'7 to clear the butterfly valve 13b of the carburetor 13,. it being desirable to locate the element 25 as close to the butterfly as possible and to restrict the thickness of the plate 19 as much. as possible so as not to take up unnecessary room. Otherwise, the periphery of the plates 26 may have a continuous circumferential contour. At 28, I have shown an oil cup coupled with the free end of the shaft 18, by means of which this shaft may be lubricated, but my invention is not limited to the use of any means of lubrication.

In Fig. 8 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification of the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4. inclusive which consists in arranging on a shaft 18a similar to the shaft 13, a control element 25a in the form of a hollow, substantially spherical body of openwork construction and having an annular recess 27a for clearing the butterfly 13b of the carburetor. T .e element 25 may be composed of a thin metal ball with perforated" walls or of a wire mesh so as to produce the desired openwork structure to said element to 1 function in the desired manner to break up the gaseous mixture prior to its transmission into the intake manifold for distribution to the cylinders of the engine.

Inthese forms of construction, the control elements' 25-'-25a are rotated by the electric motor 16 at relatively high speeds, the circuit to the motor being controlled by a switch 16a, moved into closed circuit position in starting the engine, and maintained in such position as long as the engine is running unless it be desired for any reason to cut off or discontinue the operation of the control device. It will be understood that the rotation of the elements 2525a will operate to fan and break up the gaseous mixture discharged from the carburetor and aid in vaporizing and otherwise improving the mixture to result in more perfect combustion of the gases and increasing the effective power of the engine, thus producing a material saving in fuel consumption.

From actual tests and experiments which I have made, I have found that from thirty to fifty per centum of fuel can be saved in the operation of various types of internal combustion engines when using my improved control device in the manner stated.

In Figs. 5 and 6, a modification of the structures shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and Fig. 8, is illustrated. In this construction, 29 represents a plate similar to the plate 19 and having a central' aperture 30 positioned in alinement with the passage between the carburetor and intake manifold or the governor if a governor is employed. Secured to a shaft 31 passing centrally through the aperture 30 is a perforated disk 32 of the general form shown in Fig. 5, and this disk may be rotated by a motor directly coupled with the shaft 31 as in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, or given a rotary, recip'rocating motion by mechanism such as illustrated in said figures.

At 33, I have indicated the shaft of an electric motor, onthe free end of which is a cam 34 and a cam balance disk 35 acting as a balance wheel in the rotation of the shaft 33, the cam 34 operating upon a spring controlled arm 36 secured to the shaft 31. the spring 37 of which serve to support the arm 36 always in engagement with the outer surface of the cam 34.

With this construction, it will be apparent that as the motor shaft 33 rotates, correspondingly rotating the cam 34, the arm 36 will be raised and lowered contributing to the perforated disk 32, a rotary oscillatory movement, what might be termed a fanning movement, which will operate to mix and break up the gases in their transmission through the aperture 30 prior to entering the intake manifold. One side of the disk 32 is cut out as seen at 32a to clear an adjacent butterfly valve if such should be employed. In this connection, it will be understood that if the butterfly isnot arranged adjacent the control element, the recessing of said element may be eliminated. It will be understood that the motor of the shaft 33, which is not shown, is" supported on a base 38 similar in general construction to the base 15, the base 29 being detachable with respect thereto, and itis also preferred that a bearing bar 39 be employed for supporting the shafts 31 and 33.

In Fig. '7 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification of the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6 which consists simply in substituting for the cam 34, a cam' 34a having a cam groove 34?) in one side face thereof to receive a roller or pin 40 on the end of an arm 11, geared to a shaft 31a similar to the shaft 31, thus providing a posi-' tive operation for the control element employed, such for example as a disk similar to the disk 32. It will be understood that the cam 34a is secured to a motor shaft 33a similar to the shaft 33.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent'that the distinctive features of my improved control device reside in the provision of an element mount ed within the passage leading from the carburetor of an internal combustion engine to the intake manifold of the engine, and to operate said element through the medium of an electric motor, and in the provision of means for supporting the electric motor adjacent the element to provide a compact, simple and positively functioning device.

While I have shown certain details of construc tion for carrying my invention into effect and have illustrated different uses thereof, it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific structures herein" shown and described;

and various changes therein and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is':

1. A device of the class described comprising a unit attachment consisting of a disk having a large aperture therein, a shaft mounted in the disk and traversing said aperture centrally, a body of openwork material coupled with the shaft within said aperture, a bracket at one end of said disk, and an electric motor supported on said bracket and in operative engagement with said shaft to actuate said body.-

2. A device of the class described comprising a unit attachment consisting of a disk having a large aperture therein, a shaft mountedin the disk and traversing said aperture centrally, a body of openwork material coupled with the shaft within said aperture, a bracket at one end of said disk, an electric motor supported on said bracket and in operative engagement with said shaft to actuate said body, and means for detachably coupling the plate with said bracket.

3. A device of the class described comprising a unit attachment consisting of a disk having a large aperture therein, a shaft mounted in the disk and traversing said aperture centrally, a body of openwork material coupled with the shaft within said aperture, a bracket at one end of said disk, an electric motor supported on said bracket and in operative engagement with said shaft to actuate said body, means for detachably coupling the plate with said bracket, and said plate having circumferentially elongated bolt apertures permitting rotary adjustable mounting of said unit attachment in connection with a suitable support.

4. A device of the class described comprising a unit adapted for mounting between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, said attachment consisting of a plate having an aperture registering with the intake passage of the carburetor and manifold, a control element arranged within the aperture of said plate and mounted on a shaft traversing said aperture centrally thereof, the shaft of said element protruding through the plate, means for supporting an electric motor in connection with said plate, said motor being in operative engagement with the shaft of said element for positively actuating the same to break up the gases prior to admission into said intake manifold, said element being in the form of a body of openwork material positively actuated by said electric motor at a constant speed at the different speeds of engine operation, and means whereby said unit may be rotatably adjusted with respect to the carburetor and manifold.

5. A gas mixing device for mounting between the carburetor and intake manifold of internal combustion engines, said device comprising a unit attachment consisting of an apertured plate adapted to be arranged between the flanges of the carburetor and manifold and adjustably secured within and between the same with the aperture of said plate in alinement with the intake passage of the carburetor and manifold, a bracket at one end of said plate, an electric motor mount-- ed on said bracket, a shaft mounted in said plate and traversing the aperture therein, a mixing element in the form of a body of openwork material secured to the shaft within said aperture, and means for placing said shaft in operative engagement with the electric motor for positively actuating said shaft and element at a constant speed during the different speeds of engine operation.

6. In a device of the class described, a relatively thin plate having a large aperture therein, a driven shaft mounted in the plate and traversing said aperture, and a control element mounted in connection with the shaft within said aperture, said element comprising a body of openwork mesh material in the form of a hollow substantially spherical body.

CHARLES DRIEST. 

